Pollinators are estimated to pollinate an astonishing 80% of all plants on earth, including 30% of all crops grown (Schowalter 2016). Bumblebees and solitary bees, collectively known as wild bees, are one of the most important group of pollinators on earth. Unfortunately wild bee populations are decreasing all over the world, mainly due to the loss of natural habitats, pesticides and competition from domesticated honeybees. About a third of the 285 species of bees living in Sweden are today classified as nationally endangered, with some species just on the brink of extinction. To halt and ultimately reverse the decline, new habitats are needed (EU 2014). Since it has already been shown that limestone quarries (Krauss et al. 2009, Sydenham, 2012) and other humanly-disturbed environments (Fortel et. al. 2016) can function as habitats for many species of wild bees it’s reasonable to assume that Slite and Smöjen should be good areas for this study. The aim of this project is to compare the bee fauna in areas disturbed by quarrying with areas that are more undisturbed and remote. We will be doing this by constructing nesting sites at the different locations and search for bees in the areas using a standardised model. We also aim to increase the local biodiversity in the surroundings of Slite and Smöjen by safeguarding wild bees and thus protecting other species depending on wild bees.

With the strong support of

About the Quarry Life Award

The Quarry Life Award is an international research competition for the promotion and education about biodiversity in quarries. The forth edition of the competition, organized by HeidelbergCement, is currently in progress.